People who aren’t familiar with handmade natural soap seem to think that it is primarily for decoration; pretty bars for their powder room that won’t get used, because there’s a bottle of liquid soap sitting there, too. I meet several of these people at every single show.

I put a lot of effort into making my pretty handmade bars, so of course I love to hear people say how much they like my colors and designs. But I put even more effort into making sure my soaps are the best thing you’ve ever used to clean your skin. My handmade soap bars are made to be used!

My olive oil soap recipe lathers profusely, washes gently, and rinses cleanly. It doesn’t leave any sort of tacky, sticky or waxy feeling. And, contrary to what you might read on the internet, properly made natural soap will not strip your skin or leave it feeling tight and dry. In fact, I take an extra step called “Superfatting” that ensures my handmade soaps are nicely moisturizing.

Beyond hands and bodies, try my soaps on your face, too! I’m pretty sure you’ll be surprised how effective they are at removing make up, while leaving your skin feeling fresh and clean. I’ve used my soap regularly on my face for years and my just-turned-40 skin is baby soft and smooth. I attribute this to the high portion of olive oil in my recipe and also to the naturally high glycerin content in my handmade bars. Glycerin is a powerful natural humectant. It attracts moisture, keeping skin hydrated and safeguarding against dryness.

My natural soaps are also excellent at cleaning things other than skin! Have a tough stain in the laundry? Try dampening the spot with lukewarm water and rubbing a bar of soap into the stain. Rinse with cool water. I’ve had really good luck with this on all sorts of fabrics and stains. In fact, my natural olive oil soap can be used to create a money saving laundry detergent, too, with just a few ingredients from your local grocery store or Walmart. The recipe is low-sudsing, and is perfect for HE machines as well as top loaders (you just use a bit less- even more savings!!).

The next time you find yourself cleaning up a deep frying extravaganza, pour your used oil into the original oil container using a funnel and discard it or save for another use. Then trying rubbing a bar of soap around the inside of your fry pot. Rinse and repeat if necessary. It’s amazing how well the soap binds to the oil molecules and allows them to rinse away.

I’ve even heard from some people that my soaps are awesome shampoos, especially due to the addition of castor oil in the recipe (simply wet your hair, lather up your bar soap, wash and rinse. Follow this with a rinse made of 1 T. apple cider vinegar to 1 C. water for extra manageability and shine). Castor oil is great for hair care! It’s an absolutely wonderful humectant, and adds a bubbly lather to my handmade soaps.

I’m always on the lookout for more ideas, so if you discover any other great uses for my soaps, please share!